Thursday, 17 August 2023

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:49): (364) My question is for the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples and concerns the progress of the Eastern Maar recognition and settlement agreement, RSA, the negotiation of which was first announced by Attorney-General Martin Pakula in November 2017. The government is keen to stress that such negotiations are done between the state and traditional owner groups and, as such, that local councils are not party to the final agreement. But the recently published deal with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council includes a local government engagement strategy, which the state government promises to assist in pushing forward. Minister, given the shock of Western Region councils at the belated publication of this document, which is certain to affect them enormously but over which they had no say, can you confirm by what date the Eastern Maar RSA will be completed and whether you will consult local councils and indeed the wider community and the farming sector before it is finalised?